Change Your Stress Habits to Lose Weight

Why You Should Change Your Stress Habits

You’ve heard me say it before but when you go on a diet you might be setting yourself up for failure from the start.

Here’s why.

Diets are stressful. They are stressful on the mind as well as the body. And stress causes your body to release hormones that trigger a chain reaction of eating issues for a lot of people. This is why weight loss with tapping, NLP, and hypnosis is so powerful. When you change your behavior, your excess weight will melt away.

Unfortunately, many of us eat to relieve stress. But the truth is that the relief we find is short-lived and only lasts until the final bite. Then the problems reappear. In reality, the problems or stress never really went away – we were just distracting ourselves. Once the cycle starts the inevitable feelings of being a failure set in. Because not only did you NOT solve your problems, but you created a new one right there around your waist.

So what’s the solution?

Find tools besides a fork to deal with your stress and anxiety. In the time it takes to forage for any of your favorite quick-fix foods (or settle with whatever works), you can take steps to break the cycle, beat stress, eliminate emotional eating, which ultimately will help you drop the excess weight for good (without really trying that hard.)

Food cravings, especially for emotional eaters, mean you want something else. It could be creative stimulation, companionship, or more satisfaction in life.

What are your eating triggers? Boredom, frustration, and loneliness? Once you figure out what the real issue is you have a great opportunity to change your stress habits and your behavior.

Here’s a step-by-step plan to figure it out and “feed” your real issue.

1. Keep a food journal.
   Every time you reach for food, write down what you eat and how you were feeling. Patterns will emerge. Once you recognize the pattern you are on a path to start to break it.
2. Find new “stimulants.”
   Do you eat when you’re bored? Time to make a new “grocery” list: buy inexpensive, accessible things such as books, CDs, and tapes or DVDs of favorite films that provide the emotional lift you’re seeking from food. Keep them handy, and turn to them when you’re down.
3. Call your best friend.
   Do you eat to escape painful feelings? Make a human connection instead of eating. Call someone who makes you feel good. Connect. The Opposite of Addiction is Connection
4. Create new habits.
   Find a hobby. When you’re engrossed in something you love, you forget all about eating, especially if you’re active. Doing something with your hands may keep you from putting things in your mouth. Consider adult coloring books, handicrafts like knitting or crochet, or even doing jigsaw puzzles.
5. Head toward your dreams.
   Moving towards goals, one little step at a time is satisfying. With taking a simple, small step forward the feelings of empowerment and accomplishment provide a heady satisfaction that begins a cycle of satisfaction and for many, satisfaction without food.
6. Find new rewards.
   Like most people, you probably eat to celebrate happiness too. Find new, affordable rewards such as earrings or tickets to a play or movie.